Sporting dominate for 90 minutes but fail to break the deadlock
It isn't always the best team that wins. Despite dominating right across the board and a wealth of chances on goal against V. Guimarães, Sporting were unable to go beyond a draw this Monday night.
The match got off to an intense start, with both sides showing a willingness to get forward. On five minutes, Licá made the most of a good move down the left to find his way into the area and test Rui Patrício from a tight angle. Despite the early warning shot, Sporting showed calm and composure on the ball, moving possession around the width of the pitch in an attempt to break the V. Guimarães defence wall. João Mário commanded operations in the middle, while Bruno César and Gelson Martins carried the attack forward down the flanks and Bryan Ruiz and Slimani fought for space deep in enemy territory.
Sporting's speed looked particularly troubling for the evening's hosts and a cross dragged back by Bryan Ruiz found its way through to Coates in the area, but the defender was denied by a last ditch save from Miguel Silva. A minute later, the Guimarães keeper made another crucial stop, this time pushing a Slimani header away for a corner after a cross from Schelotto. Sporting had made their intentions perfectly clear and would well have been ahead after 20 minutes, but for Miguel Silva's heroics.
The battle for midfield raged, but Jorge Jesus' side kept the edge and largely left Rui Patrício untroubled. However, on 35 minutes Bouba Saré made the most of a failure by the linesmen to signal for offside and came close to connecting with a cross, but the Sporting keeper was on his toes and smothered the danger. Five minutes later, Otávio fired a shot inches wide of the right hand post from a free-kick. Sporting responded with another wave of attacks, firstly courtesy of a dash down the right by Gelson Martins that finished up with a shot again defended by Miguel Silva. At half-time the scoreboard remained blank, but frankly Sporting deserved more.
The second-half was much of the same and before long the team from Alvalade were on the attack. Bruno César came painfully close to converting on a cross from Schelotto that found its way across the entire 18-yard box. Jesus responded to the deadlock by throwing Teo into the action in place of Gelson Martins, putting the Colombian just behind Slimani, with Bryan Ruiz pushing out to the left and Bruno César patrolling the right. The alteration almost proved an instant fix, when a minute later Schelotto failed to find the target after a pin-point cross from Bryan Ruiz.
Coates was next to try his luck from a corner whipped in by João Mário, but Miguel Silva once again frustrated the visitors with an outstretched save. Attacks were absolutely raining down on Guimarães and next up was Bryan Ruiz after a pass into space from João Mário, but Miguel Silva rushed off his line to clear away.
On 74 minutes Slimani ghosted off the back of the Guimarães defence and looked to be through on goal, only for Josué to bring down the Algerian for a second bookable offence and resulting red card. Jorge Jesus responded with the introduction of Aquilani for Bruno César and Barcos for Slimani in a last gamble for a late goal. On 82 minutes, William Carvalho had the goal at his mercy after charging forward out of midfield, but the Portuguese international put the resulting shot wide of the post.
As the final whistle sounded, Miguel Silva was warmly applauded for his heroics between the posts, but Sporting certainly did enough to claim the points, had it not been for a lack of a clinical touch in front of goal.
The result keepers Sporting in first, one point ahead of Benfica going into next weekend's Lisbon derby.
